Supernova
by Acetonperoxid
Summary: Theoretically, Mariku should already be in training for becoming a pilot, but in practice, he is more concerned with surviving. And this intergalactic war had certainly not been on his to-do list. Bronzeshipping, Tendershipping.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The fog shrouded almost the entire view of four largest moons of Jupiter. Mariku narrowed his eyes, but he could see their outlines only vague through the fog. Mariku called it fog, though he knew it was gas. At least something he memorized from school. He stretched his neck a bit to look down. Water sloshed against the pillars of the building. Mariku again narrowed his eyes as he thought he spotted figures in the water. He almost pressed his face against the glass. He tried to remember what he knew about Jupiter and its inhabitants, but the memories were just vague. He had not necessarily been the best student, at least not in astronomy. The subject was too dry to his taste. Ships, however, were more to his liking, so he was particularly excited to finally be on Jupiter. It was the planet with the largest spaceport in the galaxy.

Mariku turned away from the window and let his gaze wander through the vast spaceport. He almost couldn't handle all the impressions. It was just too overwhelming. He had never seen so many different species in one place. He had often been at the spaceport on the moon, but the moon was tiny compared to Jupiter. It was a sea of colorful shapes, who conversed in languages Mariku had never heard before. He took a deep breath. Even the smells he could not name, because there was no name for it in his own language. Mariku closed his eyes and let it all sink in. He felt a pleasant tingle in his stomach. He had trouble to hide his broad grin. He still couldn't believe that he was here. He was only a stone's throw from his biggest dream.

Mariku opened his eyes and looked once again at the sheet of paper in his hands. He knew the text by heart. It was the confirmation of admission for one of the best pilot schools in existence. Every year only a few got the chance to receive training to become a pilot at this school. There were many pilot schools, but none stood out more than the high quality Cera Academy on planet Ptera. Only the best were able to graduate.

Mariku sighed. Since he was a child, he dreamed of travelling through space. He wanted to see everything: aliens, whose names he couldn't pronounce; planets, whose atmosphere would probably kill him, and star systems, he didn't even knew they existed. Mariku made a pleased sound.

He could really consider himself lucky that he got a chance, since he was only a normal human being. He had no special skills, no super vision, or any claws, or wings. He was so inconspicuous, he sometimes felt really uncomfortable among all the aliens, who could easily break every bone in his body. Still, he shook his head, he did it. His performances had convinced the selection committee and he would do his best. He would show everyone who had laughed at him what he could do. He clenched his hands into fists and crumpled the paper. Of course they didn't dare laughing at him again, after he had beaten them up. They could be happy they were still able to laugh. He was now a student at the Cera Academy, at least almost, he just had to go there.

Mariku pushed the paper back into his pocket and strolled around the grounds. He still had time until departure and wanted to use it to look around. With big eyes he looked at the creatures, he passed. Some had a kind of fur; others in turn were translucent, as if their body was made of glass. He saw the different skin colors from blue to red. Horns, claws, tails, wings. Mariku couldn't get enough. He heard scraps of the conversations around him, but couldn't understand a word. He himself spoke only Arabic, English and the language of commerce, which was spoken by most aliens. It would have been interesting to know what aliens were talking about, but it was also interesting to hear the different languages.

However, the spaceport was more than just a big bus stop; it offered shops, pedlars, hotels and bars. Mariku hang around between the pedlars who sold the strangest things. One looked like an octopus in a glass and Mariku didn't even want to know what it was good for or what it really was.

"Hey boy," suddenly one of the dealers spoke to him. At first Mariku thought he had no arms until he saw the claws sticking out of his midsection. Four in number and fiery red. In one, he had a cup containing an amber liquid. As he held the cup under Mariku's nose, the smell alone sufficed to water his eyes. It burned and he started to feel dizzy. Mariku stumbled back and out of reach. Only slowly, his eyes recovered and Mariku wiped the tears from his cheeks. He wanted to rest against a wall, but instead of metal he grabbed something soft. Surprised, he drew back and fell backwards over a box. Mariku grimaced as he hit the ground.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't worry," he heard a female voice with a pleasant sound say. He looked up. Her skin was pale blue with dark blue tattoos and her eyes were a clear, radiant green. She had no hair, but two tentacles reaching down to her butt, like two long braids. It didn't affect her beauty in the slightest. The dress, she wore, emphasized her charms just right. Mariku swallowed. Her full, red lips gave him a smile. Mariku licked his lips unconsciously. He wasn't able to avert his eyes from her. Only with trouble he came back onto his feet. She reached out her hand and stroked his cheek gently. Mariku got goose bumps. "Are you hurt?"

"No," replied Mariku hoarsely. His whole body was focused on the alien woman in front of him. Her slender fingers ran along his neck.

"I'm relieved. It would be a shame if such a handsome guy like you would get hurt." She came closer and Mariku breathed her scent, which reminded him of flowers. "Or should I rather see if everything is really alright?" As she pressed her body against his Mariku felt the arousal taking him over. He didn't know what happened to him, but he knew he wanted this woman in any possible way.

Suddenly someone grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back. Again, he landed on the ground and Mariku blinked in confusion. The magic was gone as quickly as it had come. What had happened to him? He couldn't explain his behavior. "I don't think he is old enough for you, my love." Mariku looked up at the man who stood next to him, but because of the hood he wore, Mariku couldn't see his face. The alien woman pressed her lips together in disapproval. She said something in a language Mariku didn't understand, but for the sound of it, it weren't nice words. She turned away and disappeared into the crowd. The man turned to Mariku and held out his hand. Mariku let him get pulled to his feet. Now he could see that the guy was human. He was at least 50 and had a full beard. The gray eyes regarded him with interest. "You should be careful," he warned Mariku.

"Yes, thank you." he said embarrassed. Normally he had a quick tongue, but the surroundings unsettled him. Hopefully that would change, once he was at the Academy. He really didn't like this shy side of him.

"You better go to your ship." With these words, the man left Mariku alone. Mariku took a deep breath. Geez, how embarrassing. He still had a lot to learn.

He pulled out the confirmation of acceptance from his pocket and flipped it over. On the back it had the number listed from which platform his ship would departure. At least he thought it was a number. It was a strange-squiggly symbol and he didn't even know if he had written it down correctly. With the paper in his hand, he left the dealers behind and entered the part of the spaceport, which housed the ships.

Amazed and with a touch of awe he looked at the space ships which rose majestically before him. Aliens in different uniforms hurried through the area, welcomed guests and took luggage. Mariku sighed. He could never afford to fly with one of these luxury ships. He was even glad that he had found an affordable flight. But maybe one day he would be in control of one of these big ships. At the thought of it, he felt again this pleasant tingling in his stomach.

Mariku compared the symbols on the pillars with the one he had written down. The ships became smaller and lost its shine, the father he went. At the smaller ships there were no uniforms, no one welcomed the guests and took care of the luggage. The persons, he passed, gave Mariku an uneasy feeling and he unconsciously quickened his steps.

"I warn you, you greedy beast", Mariku heard someone say while he compared the symbols. It looked almost identical. He saw the ship, which outer shell was painted in white and blue and seemed to be in an unexpected good condition. _AMANE_ stood, much to Marikus surprise, in Latin letters on the outer casing. "If I have even a small problem during the flight, then I'll come back and make sure you never get a piece of gold into these greedy, green fingers of yours again. Do you understand me?" Mariku turned his attention to the speaker. He stood with his back to him, so Mariku could only see his long white hair. He held a creature in the air, no bigger than a small child, with deep green skin and a big hooked nose.

"Of course, sir, of course." It had a shrill voice which hurt in the ears. The white-haired man let go of the little alien and it landed on its butt. It quickly got back to its feet again and walked away muttering. Mariku didn't understand what it said, but it didn't sound too happy.

"And I always thought Cygni were nice and lovely contemporaries." Surprised Mariku looked to the side. He hadn't heard him coming. Between the long white hairs, Mariku could see pointy ears. One of them was almost completely shredded. He grinned and Mariku could see the long, pointed canines. His dark eyes flashed with amusement as he watched the other white-haired man, who had now turned around and looked anything but happy.

"Watch your mouth, you abject bloodsucker." Ryou pointed his marbleized claws at him. Mariku took the opportunity to have a close look at him. Instead of skin he had some kind of fur (maybe it was something similar to down, Mariku wasn't sure), and his ears were several long white feathers. He had a small nose and big brown eyes. His features were soft, even though just twisted into an angry grimace.

Bakura raised his hands defensively. "Relax, relax. Only joking."

"One more of these stupid jokes and you can go and find another ship. Be glad that I take scum like you on board at all," Ryou hissed. "If you make one wrong move, I'll pulverize you myself. Now give me the payment!" Bakura gave him a small bag. Mariku heard the coins jingle. Ryou weighed the bag in his hand. "JOU!" They heard the clatter of hoofs. Jonouchi had large curved horns coming out from the side of his head and his legs turned into hoofs from his knees. Ryou gave him the bag. "Count them." He looked at Mariku. "And you?"

Mariku averted his gaze from Jonouchi. "Uh, hi, I'm Mar—"

"I don't care," Ryou interrupted him curtly, holding out his hand. Mariku put his bag on the floor and went to his knees. He unzipped it and took out a small bag, which he handed to Ryou.

Without another word, Ryou turned and walked toward the ship. "ANZU!"

Mariku took a deep breath. Had he forgotten his self-consciousness on earth? "Oh wow, what crawled up his ass and died?" Mariku just shrugged his shoulders and picked up his bag. Bakura looked at him with interest. "You're a human."

"Uh, yes. And you are a...?" But Mariku couldn't name his species. He knew far too little about the different aliens. Mankind was still too stubborn to teach reasonable in the schools about it and if they did, he hadn't paid attention.

"Nocidea," Bakura replied casually. "I've never met a human before." He came uncomfortably close and Mariku put one foot backwards, leaning his upper body away from him. Bakura's eyes were closed. "Sweet," he muttered with a grin, and then he licked his lips. "Very sweet." Questioning Mariku lifted his eyebrows. What was wrong with this guy? What was sweet? Him? Did he hit on him? He knew he looked good, but was that a reason for all the aliens he met to be keen on him?

"Will you stand there forever or what?" Ryou shouted to them angrily. "Get your stuff and your asses into the ship. I don't have all day."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "I'm glad we only have to endure this for a few days."

"I heard that!" Bakura smiled at Ryou exaggerating in response.

Next to Ryou stood a woman, whose skin was greenish-blue and slightly translucent. Mariku could see the dark blue veins underneath. Both her lips and her eyes were also dark blue. She had no pupils. Between her fingers she had webbing. She smiled at Mariku and he smiled back unsettled. What was it today with him and the aliens? "The lady likes you," Bakura whispered to him and winked. "I've heard Seiren are excellent lovers." Mariku raised his eyebrows, not sure what to say. He didn't want to get involved with anyone outside his own species romantically. He glanced over his shoulder. The Seiren still looked at him, while Ryou talked insistently to her. Mariku sighed. He didn't hope it would continue this way. "I'm Bakura by the way."

"Mariku." muttered Mariku. Suddenly he felt tired and drained. The long journey to Jupiter, during which he couldn't sleep at all, and everything that happened in the last hours left his marks. He looked forward to his cabin and the bed.

Jonouchi was waiting for them inside. He grinned. "Don't worry about Ryou. He is actually quite nice, at least when he's asleep." He laughed at his own joke. The sound of his hooves echoed on the walls. "He's a little tense."

"I know something to relax him." Bakura said, grinning and even Mariku smirked.

Jonouchi laughed again. "Better not let him hear that. Nocidea, this is your room and next to it, the one for our little human."

"I also have a name." grumbled Mariku.

"Yes, I'm sure, but I don't know it."

"My name is Mariku, okay?"

"Relax Mariku." Bakura put his arm around his shoulder. "Don't be so serious."

Mariku pushed him away. "Don't do that." He really had enough body contact with aliens for today and Bakura made him feel uneasy.

"Departure is in an hour," said Jonouchi. "I wish you a pleasant stay." He bowed slightly.

Mariku opened the door to his cabin and left his bag on the bed. Apart from the narrow bed, there was a small wardrobe, a chair and a table, which was attached to the wall. There was not much space and it reminded Mariku more of a prison cell. He sank onto the bed. It was only for a few days. He pushed the bag from the bed and stretched out on it. He hit his head against the bed frame. He sighed. Now he was even too big for this bed. Great. He curled up and yawned. The excitement had made him tired.

A tremor went through the ship and woke Mariku up. It took a moment to remind him where he was. Oh yes, he was on his way to Ptera and apparently they were now ready to depart. Yawning Mariku stood up and rubbed his tense neck, before he left his room. He wanted to watch the start.

Ryou studied the hologram of a star chart as Mariku entered the cockpit. "What are you doing here?" Ryou hissed at him immediately.

"I would like to watch," Mariku said calmly. He won't be intimidated by Ryou.

Ryou sighed annoyed. "Get out!" He pushed a button and the star map disappeared.

"I won't touch anything."

Ryou's jaw tensed. "Let him stay," Anzu said and smiled at Mariku.

Yielding Ryou threw his arms in the air. "Sit there and shut up." Mariku winked at Anzu and she averted her gaze with a slight blush on her cheeks. Maybe it wasn't so bad at all that this alien chick had a crush on him. He liked the benefits. He sank into the chair that Ryou had assigned him and fastened the seatbelt. Curious, he looked around. Not far from him was an alien, he didn't know. His skin looked like stone; it was black and crossed by red veins, which reminded Mariku of lava. The number of buttons and levers made him excited. He couldn't wait to have his own ship, even though it would still take years. "Okay Jou, get us out of here." Ryou crossed his arms over his chest as the ship took off from the ground. Mariku heard how the landing gear was retracted. They slowly floated upwards. "Easy."

"Yeah, I'm not doing it for the first time," said Jonouchi.

"The last time you rammed another ship!"

Jonouchi grinned mischievously. "It wasn't intentional." He arranged behind another ship. In the distance Mariku could discover a lock through which the ships left the spaceport.

"Don't tailgate," Ryou hissed.

"Calm down, boss."

"I'm tired of paying for damage. We had that often enough." Another sly grin of Jonouchi. Mariku wondered why Ryou allowed Jonouchi to steer the ship when he had so many accidents.

The lock opened for them. "Honda, gravity on T5." Mariku felt a pressure on the ears, as in the departure of an aircraft. His hands were wet with excitement. Jupiter's gas layer blocked the view and Ryou grumbled. "What idiot actually built the spaceport on the most chaotic planet in this solar system?" He sank into a chair and opened the star map again. "Jou hold to the right." Slowly the vision cleared up as they left the atmosphere. Mariku watched open-mouthed the countless stars. He could even see Saturn. "Course GV38. Accelerate slowly." The ship took a leap forward. "Slowly, I said!" He closed the star card. "Anzu, prepare for the jump."

Mariku shifted restless in his chair. He knew the complete theory of a hyperspace jump by heart, but had never experienced one himself. He grinned. "All ready."

"Well then, get us out of this solar system." Mariku was pushed into his seat as the ship accelerated further. For a moment, he had trouble to breath. The space around them distorted. The lights of the stars were longer and broke into the strangest angles.

Mariku had his heart in his mouth. Finally. Finally it began…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A tremor went through the spaceship and Mariku was pulled forward. Only the seatbelt held him in his seat. A loud warning signal sounded and the light flickered. Another shake let the ship tremble and it was thrown out of its orbit. They heard a loud crash, then another and another. Mariku clawed at the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He had his eyelids pressed together, because it felt as if his eyes would burst at any moment. Muffled he heard Ryou screaming: "What's going on?"

Nobody was able to answer him. Mariku gritted his teeth. Pain went through his body. His bones seemed to break at any moment and the pressure in his head was unbearable. The spacecraft was turned to the side. Another shake and suddenly they stood head. Mariku felt relief as the pressure subsided in his head and wandered into his legs. Nevertheless, he was on the point of vomiting. His clothes clung to him. A final tremor went through the ship before it turned back into its proper position and remained still. Ryou turned off the alarm.

"What, by all moons?" He gasped. His eyes were wide and veined red. "Is anyone hurt?"

Mariku wasn't able to answer him; he fought the urge to pass out.

"I think I have to die," moaned Jonouchi and wiped blood from his forehead. Disgusted, he stared at his hand and wiped it on his shirt. "Was that a solar storm?"

"Impossible," objected Ryou. "We were-" But he didn't finish the sentence. "Anzu, are you okay?" Anzu said nothing. She was breathing heavily. The gills on her neck fluttered. Her upper body was almost completely translucent, while her legs had assumed a dark blue. "Anzu?" She fell to the ground.

Ryou ran stumbling to her. "Damn it, Anzu! Pull yourself together!" He lifted her legs so that her blood flowed back into the upper body.

The cockpit door opened, and Bakura entered. Blood ran from his nose and he wiped it away with his hand casually. "Do you want to kill us?" He looked at Anzu. "Doesn't look good for the little one." Ryou gave him an angry look. "You should put her in water that should bring her circulation going again."

"Honda, get Anzu and put her in the tub," Ryou said, without averting his gaze from Bakura. "How do you know that?"

"I know many things, but I still don't know why you tried to kill us." He took a step to the side to allow Honda to pass.

"I would like to know what happened, too." Ryou muttered and got back on his feet again. He tried to open the star map, but the hologram showed nothing. Furiously, Ryou pounded on the armature. "Damn!"

"Is it broken?" asked Mariku. His tongue felt numb and heavy. Black spots danced before his eyes as if he would pass out at any moment. With trembling fingers he opened the seatbelt, but didn't dare to get up.

"No, it works, it just doesn't show where we are." Ryou replied without looking up from the empty hologram.

"Broken after all."

Ryou turned to Mariku. His eyes were wide open. "No, you don't understand! It doesn't show where we are, because there is no map for this galaxy."

Silence fell.

Mariku looked through the windshield. The only things he could see were stars. "It has thrown us out of hyperspace," Ryou sat down, "and now we are in an unknown galaxy."

"Can we call it the Jou-Galaxy?"

Ryou rolled his eyes. "This isn't the time for jokes."

"What's the plan?" Bakura asked, sitting down next to Mariku.

Ryou ran a hand through his hair. "Finding a planet or a space station, someone who can tell us where we are."

"Can't we," Mariku stroked over his eyes, "simply jump out of here?" He still felt dizzy,

Ryou looked at him as if he had said something incredibly stupid. "Are you out of your mind? We don't know what happens if we jump without coordinates! And you want to be a pilot?" Mariku raised his eyebrows in surprise. After Ryou's previous behavior, he hadn't expected that he really cared about the reason, he was going to Ptera. "Jou, has the ship been damaged?"

With dash Jonouchi slipped on Anzu place, looked from the screen to the buttons in front of him and then turned to Ryou. "I don't know how to use it."

Ryou took a deep breath. "She showed you how to do that."

"That was months ago."

"Last week." he sighed.

"As long as we float, it can't be that bad," Bakura said, just as Honda came into the cockpit again.

"How's Anzu?"

"She regained consciousness."

Ryou sighed with relief. "Good. Jou, back on your seat; let's take a look around."

Bakura smirked at Mariku. Through the blood around his nose and mouth, his grin was something psychopathic. "Like a real adventure. I'm really excited."

Mariku couldn't contradict him. It was exciting, albeit dangerous. They didn't know where they were and what would happen next.

Slowly the spacecraft began to move, and performed a rotation. Only with difficulty Mariku could hold himself in his seat, at least until Bakura bumped into him and they both rolled through the cockpit. "Fasten your seatbelts, idiots." Ryou hissed as they lay at his feet.

"The control system is totally messed up," muttered Jonouchi and had trouble to bring the spaceship to its normal position. Mariku rubbed the back of his head. He slid down from Bakura and used Ryou's seat to get back on his feet.

Bakura also stood up. He turned his gaze to the outside, closed his eyes for a moment, except for a small gap and then went closer to the window. Ryou wanted to hiss at him again as Bakura began to speak: "There, on the left side, isn't that a space station?"

"Where?"

"Well there!" He reached out and Ryou's eyes narrowed.

"I can't see anything."

Bakura sighed. "Your eyes are just too bad. Just fly in this direction." Ryou looked at him suspiciously, but indicated Jonouchi to do what Bakura said.

And Bakura was right: a space station came into view. "Doesn't look very inviting," muttered Jonouchi and let the ship stop to keep a safe distance. They couldn't see any lights or other signs of life.

"It bears the mark of rebellion," Honda said suddenly and Ryou straightened himself.

Mariku looked at Bakura. "Rebellion?" But Bakura shrugged his shoulders.

Ryou grabbed the radio. "This is the captain of Amane, we request permission to dock. Our ship was damaged during the jump." But only noise was their answer. "I repeat, this is the captain of Amane, we may ask for permission to dock." Once again he got no response.

"Seems like it's abandoned. What do we do?"

"Docking." ordered Ryou. "We have no choice. The control system is damaged and perhaps even more. Furthermore, we could find clues as to where we are. "

The landing process was difficult. They turned a few times and almost crashed into the outer shell before they finally were able to land. Everyone sighed with relief.

"Jou, Honda, you two stay on the ship and look at the damage. Maybe Anzu is fit enough to help you. You two," he pointed at Mariku and Bakura, "come with me. We'll look around." They followed him out of the cockpit. "The station seemed to be abandoned, but that doesn't mean it is. Who knows what's hiding here and I certainly won't take any chances, so we don't go outside unarmed, even if we have only stun guns." He handed them two rifles. "Have you ever shot with that?"

Mariku looked at the gun in his hand. It was light as a feather and had a red energy core pulsing in its midst. "No."

"Once," Bakura replied, "accidentally."

Ryou sighed. "Just try not to shoot us."

* * *

In the space station it was freezing cold, and pitch black. The light of their flashlights was just enough to brighten up the way before them. Bakura had no problems with the little light; his night vision was amazing. The space station was, as expected, abandoned. Debris from space ships took up most of the space. There were some boxes, mostly stacked on the walls. "There shouldn't be a lacking in spare parts," Bakura said as he let his gaze wander through the great hall. His voice echoed along the walls.

"Hush," Ryou hissed at him.

"Don't worry," Bakura pointed at his ears, "I've got super-hearing and night vision. No one can sneak up on us. "

"Maybe I'm just not in the mood to listen to your voice?"

Mariku chuckled and Bakura nudged him with his elbow.

"You know, for a Cygni you're really rude."

Ryou snorted and pushed open the door that led out of the great hall. "I'm different."

"Different is exciting."

"Are you trying to hit on me?"

"A little bit."

"Should I leave you two alone?" Mariku intervened.

"Better not, because now it's getting disgusting."

Mariku and Ryou looked at Bakura in surprise. Bakura however, had his eyes fixed on something in the distance. He pushed past Ryou and ran down the passage. Mariku and Ryou followed him. The glow of their flashlights fell on two skeletons in uniforms, their heads missing. "They are lying here for a while."

"Where are the heads?" Mariku wanted to know and crouched down. It was the first time, he saw real skeletons and found it very intriguing.

"Over there," Ryou said. He had checked the passage with his flashlight. The two heads were only a few feet away from the bodies.

Bakura looked at them and touched the neck vertebrae. "Torn off," he muttered and stood up again. "Someone or something had torn the heads downright from the body." He gripped the handle of the gun tightly. "And I hope it's not here anymore."

"Let us go on. We have to get to the command room."

They continued on their way. This time, however, they didn't talk. Mariku chewed on his lower lip; the skeletons still on his mind. How long were they there already? Were they in danger, too? Was something lurking in the darkness of the space station, which would also tear off their heads? He swallowed; all the horror sci-fi movies came to his mind. Not an uplifting thought.

They entered a room to their left, and the smell made Mariku almost vomit. Ryou also turned up his nose, only Bakura seemed unaffected by the sweet smell of decay.

"He hasn't been dead for long," was his dry comment. "But he looks different than the others before." Ryou approached while Mariku stopped at the door. "Somehow he looks nibbled."

Ryou let the light of his flashlight wander over the corpse and drew a sharp breath. "Impossible," he cried out hoarsely. He stumbled back a few steps, the sheer panic was written all over his face. "This is IMPOSSIBLE!"

"What? What's going on?" Bakura looked at him confused.

"Impossible! Simply impossible!" repeated Ryou. His body was shaking. "We have to get out of here right now."

"Why?"

"NOW!"

Bakura looked down at the corpse. Scales partially covered the body and he could see sharp teeth. One of the long canines was broken. He strained his memory, but it wasn't a species he had ever seen. Why was Ryou so afraid? Ryou suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled Bakura with him. He was surprisingly strong.

"What's the matter?" asked Mariku.

"We're leaving," was all Ryou said.

Mariku and Bakura exchanged puzzled looks.

Before Mariku could even feel the pain, his body went numb. The only thing he felt was the weight on his back and something that slammed into his back and shoulder. He blinked. His surroundings were blurred and distorted. Mariku staggered. He took a step forward, and then he collapsed. He tried to breathe, but his lungs had trouble to fill themselves with oxygen. Mariku fought against the blackout, but more and more black spots danced before his eyes. As if from a distance he heard Bakura's and Ryou's voices and then a shot. After that, his world turned black.

"What was that?" Ryou yelled at Bakura.

"Sorry, I panicked!" Bakura yelled back and picked up the gun he had dropped in shock.

"You're more anxious than a human child!"

"I've never met a human child, so I don't know if you've just insulted me!"

Ryou sighed resignedly, and then looked to Mariku and the alien, which lay stunned by his side. "Shit!" Mariku had a gaping wound in his shoulder and several smaller on his back where the claws had drilled into his body.

"We need to get him back to the ship," said Bakura. "He must be medicated immediately."

"He's dead."

"How can you say that? He's just bleeding."

"That," Ryou pointed at the alien next to him, "is a Notechis. Their venom is the strongest that you will ever find. Mariku is dead."

Bakura gritted his teeth. "There is always an antidote, no matter the poison." He crouched beside Mariku and felt his pulse. "He still lives and I won't let him die like this. I haven't at least tried to help him. Now help me carry them." He went to lift Mariku, but Ryou stopped him.

"I'll carry him. I won't touch that Notechis bastard."

"Whatever you say." Bakura was surprised how light the Notechis was. He felt the bones and muscles under the firm skin. The scales felt as hard as stone. He could smell the blood on the Notechis mouth and licked his lips involuntarily. Bakura swallowed and tried to push the thought of sweet blood aside, but the smell made it impossible for him. He was hungry. "Isn't Mariku too heavy for you?"

"Oh please," Ryou replied snidely and put Mariku with ease over his shoulder.

"You're really full of surprises." It was better that Ryou carried Mariku anyway. Just the smell of his blood tugged at Bakura's self-control.

Ryou smiled briefly before his expression turned serious again. "What are you going to do? Why do you need the Notechis?"

"I need his poison for the antidote," said Bakura.

They hurried back towards the ship.

"And you know what you got to do?"

"Of course."

"A Nocidea who is familiar with antidotes, how interesting."

"I'm different," Bakura said, grinning.

* * *

"What's going on?" Jonouchi shouted to them as they approached the ship.

"Mariku is injured," Bakura replied. "I need bandages, a glass, your entire first-aid stuff and Anzu. Oh, and alcohol!"

"In here." Ryou said, leading Bakura to a small, almost empty room. Bakura let Mariku slide to the ground.

"Is that...?" Honda stood at the door. On his face was the same terrified expression Ryou had as he saw the Notechis.

"Yes, get the chains." Ryou snapped.

In the meantime Bakura ripped Mariku's shirt. The smell of blood almost drove him mad. "Pull yourself together," he muttered to himself. Anzu entered with the first-aid kit. "Seiren can produce water, right?"

"Yes."

"In different temperatures?" Anzu nodded. "Okay, his body temperature is now close to 41 degrees. His normal body temperature is about 37 degrees." He ran his fingers through his hair. The blood was distracting him. He wanted to bury his face in the shoulder wound. "Is that alcohol?" He exclaimed as Jonouchi came through the door with a bottle in his hands. "Quick!" Bakura took a deep gulp and then sighed relieved. The alcohol suppressed the blood thirst at least for a short time. "Water temperature 45 degrees." Mariku's body flinched as the hot water touched his wounds. "As long as he's twitching, he's still alive." Bakura took the glass and turned to the Notechis, who had been chained to the wall by Honda. Bakura opened its mouth and pressed the glass under its canines. Poison dripped into the glass. Afterwards Bakura filled the glass with alcohol and mixed it with painkiller. With one of his canines, he scratched his finger and dripped his blood into the glass.

"Your blood?" Ryou asked skeptically.

"It neutralizes most poisons." Bakura replied with a concentrated face. With the rags of Mariku's shirts, he wiped his back dry. Carefully he poured the contents of the glass on the wounds.

"And that should help?"

"I hope so."

"And what do we do with him?" Bakura noticed the fear in Anzu's voice. Why were they so afraid of him? He looked at the boy in chains. He seemed very young to Bakura, but that could be deceiving. He looked thin and sickly. His ribs were showing. He didn't seem particularly threatening, apart from the claws and teeth.

"We kill him." Ryou replied coolly.

"Why?"

"Why?" Ryou repeated hissing. "He's a Notechis, that's why!"

"That's no reason!" Bakura checked the bandages, and then looked up at Ryou.

"It's the best reason ever." Ryou's pure hatred towards the Notechis was a mystery to Bakura. He wanted to know the reason, but didn't dare to ask. Not yet.

"I might need more of his poison," said Bakura. He didn't like the thought of killing this boy without talking to him first. He wanted to know who he was.

Ryou snorted. "Tomorrow morning he is dead." He looked to his team. "Tell me something about Amane, are the damages worse?" They left the room.

Bakura sighed with relief, then lifted Mariku up and brought him to his cabin. "Don't die, I dare you."

* * *

Slowly Mariku came back to consciousness. His head felt heavy and he felt a dull pain in his upper body. He wanted to move, but his body didn't obey him. It didn't even feel like his body. He had a metallic taste in the mouth. The attempt to open the eyes failed miserably. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was the landing on the space station, but everything that came after that was just black. He felt like he had a hangover, only worse. Where was he? What had happened? Mariku managed to turn his head.

"Mariku?" The voice seemed familiar, but strange at the same time. Who was with him? He felt cool fingers touching his face. "Your fever has gone down." Fever? Mariku's eyelids flickered. Only dimly he could make out his surroundings. He saw the outline of a person next to him. Mariku opened his mouth, but no sound left his throat. "Are you thirsty?" He nodded weakly. Slowly, his vision sharpened. Bakura was with him. "Sit up carefully." Bakura helped him and he gave a plaintive sound as a sharp pain went through his shoulder. Only now he noticed the bandages.

"What...?"

"Drink first of all."

Mariku greedily drank the water, ignoring that half of it landed on the bedspread and his chest. "What happened?"

"You were attacked and poisoned." Mariku looked at Bakura in disbelief. Why couldn't he remember it? "Don't worry, I have you patched up and now that you're awake, I'm assuming that you won't die."

"Thank you," murmured Mariku and sank back on the mattress. "What has attacked me?"

"A Note—I forgot his name, but everyone seems to be in quite a panic because of him. No one tells me why though." Bakura shrugged. "Ryou had him put in chains and wants to kill him in the morning."

"Oh." Mariku closed his eyes. He felt exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep. "I want to see him."

"You better not move."

Mariku turned his head to the side and looked at Bakura. "Please."

Bakura sighed. "As if I could resist a hurt, half-naked guy." He shrugged his shoulders resignedly and Mariku chuckled. Bakura helped him out of bed and steadied him.

"I will remember that."

"Please make sure you don't almost get killed next time, it's a bit stressful."

Mariku stared at the alien for a long time before he said anything. "He doesn't look so threatening."

"I second that, Ryou doesn't look threatening either, but I would still be afraid that he'd bite my cock off."

"That's what I'm going to do if you continue making stupid comments."

Bakura ducked his head and grinned slightly. "I hadn't noticed you."

"You've already impressively demonstrated that you don't hear it when someone is sneaking up. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see who nearly killed me." Mariku answered.

"Enjoy the view while you still can. I can't wait to squeeze the life out of him. Although I haven't decided yet how I'll kill him. It will, in any case, be long and painful and I will enjoy every second of it. "

Suddenly a chuckle. "As if I let scum like you lay hands on me." Malik looked up; an amused expression in his eyes. He lisped and Mariku could see the forked tongue as he licked his lips.

Ryou's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you're awake."

But Malik ignored him. His gaze was fixed on Mariku. "Oh, the human still lives."

"It takes a bit more than just poison to kill me."

Malik gave an amused sound. "We'll see." he whispered, a shiver crept over Mariku's body. He had first looked harmless, but he got more threatening by the minute. His presence took the whole room.

"Hey Notechis!" Bored Malik turned his gaze to Ryou. "How many of you bastards are there?"

"Don't worry; I don't need help to kill you." His head snapped to the side as Ryou slapped him. "I'm going to enjoy peeling your face off." Another slap in the face. "You're so pathetic, Cygni. We will refer you back to your familiar place." Ryou punched him in the face. Malik laughed and licked the blood from his lips. "GET ON YOUR KNEES, SCUM!" He tugged at the chains. Ryou hit him again while Mariku and Bakura stood by helplessly, not knowing whether they should intervene or not. "You'll regret this," Malik said with a softly hiss, "You and your family."

"You had them already." snarled Ryou and Malik suddenly looked interested.

"Well, yes, you look kind of familiar. Who was it? A sister?" Ryou froze. "Oh yes, a sister. What a weak little thing. It was fun to pluck out every feather, one by one and watch her as she went mad, and scratched her eyes out."

Driven by his hatred Ryou punched Malik repeatedly until Bakura finally went in between.

"LET ME GO!" Ryou yelled at him and tried to wrest from his grasp. "I'LL KILL HIM!" Tears ran down his cheeks. "I'M GONNA KILL THIS BASTARD!"

"Calm down."

"NO!"

Bakura flung him over his shoulder and carried the screaming, flailing Ryou out of the room.

Mariku and Malik were alone and Mariku felt more than just uncomfortable. Malik's eyes were fixed on him, and it didn't seem to bother him, that Ryou had just beaten his face bloody. "A human." Malik looked amused. "You are almost as pathetic as the Cygni; a weak, pitiful race, short-lived and so fragile."

"Still, I've survived your poison. That probably means that we humans are stronger than you think or you're just weak."

The grin disappeared from Malik's face. No matter what he said, he could only lose. "Oh, you think you're so clever. In the end you will beg for your life." He made a series of hissing sounds and Mariku suspected that this was his mother tongue.

"You don't even know Ryou's sister, right?" Mariku changed the subject. He felt uncomfortable to speak about himself or human kind with Malik. It was better if he didn't say too much.

The grin returned. "No."

"Why did you say it then?"

"I wanted to see him suffer."

"Why?"

"It's fun."

His words sent cold shivers up and down Mariku's spine. He went to the door because he couldn't bear Malik's presence any longer. They really shouldn't be fooled by his appearance. Malik didn't let him out of sight. Before he left the room, Mariku took a last glance over his shoulder. Malik hissed, and then chuckled.

* * *

"What do you think of him?" Bakura asked as he undid Mariku's bandages to look at the wound.

"He is cold, cruel, enjoys to see others suffer, and he will kill us as soon as he gets the chance."

"Almost certainly."

"Has Ryou said anything?"

"Other than insulting me? No. I left him alone with the remaining alcohol. Oh."

"What?"

"Your shoulder." Bakura leaned closer to him. "It looks like as if he had bitten a piece out. That will leave a pretty scar."

Mariku sighed. He wasn't even two days on the road and almost gotten killed already. What a record. "Do we know where we are?" But before Bakura could answer there was a knock at the door. "Yes?"

Anzu entered. She carried a tray with two bowls. "I made you soup if you are hungry." She looked anxious and her usually blue skin had turned more greenish. "I'm not disturbing you?" Her eyes flickered briefly over Mariku's naked torso before she lowered it.

"No, of course not. Leave it on the table, thank you."

Anzu shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. Something seemed to be on her mind. "How are your wounds?"

"I'll survive. Bakura is taking good care of me."

"Good." She nervously fumbled around with the hem of her skirt. "I," she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I want to tell you about the Notechis." Mariku and Bakura looked at each other in surprise. "If you're interested?" The two men nodded and Anzu continued. "I wasn't born yet, so I can't tell you exact details. People don't talk about it too much. It was a dark time." She bit her lower lip. "The Notechis were once the rulers of several galaxies. Cruel rulers. They have enslaved and exterminated whole species. They tortured because they enjoyed it; for entertainment. There have always been resistors, but the Notechis were fighting machines. No one had a chance against them. Ryou's people, the Cygni, had it especially hard. They're a peaceful race, they don't fight and the Notechis had _fun_ with them… a lot of fun." She clenched her fists. "Ryou knows what it's like to be a slave. That's why he is how he is. He has learned that you will be treated with contempt, if you aren't strong and he wants to be strong. The truth is he is afraid. He has huge fear of the Notechis, because they shouldn't exist anymore. The Notechis are an extinct species for over 150 years!"

"What happened?" Bakura wanted to know. He had completely forgotten that he wanted to change Mariku's bandages.

"There was a war. The Notechis had tangled with the wrong race." Anzu stroked restlessly over her arm. "At least it looked like that at first, but the Notechis were just too superior and they had gained powerful allies."

"Nevertheless, they have been wiped out?" Anzu nodded. "How?"

"Luck. Pure luck. A supernova destroyed their home planet and 90% of their fleet. The survivors were hunted down and executed." She took a deep breath. Her gills fluttered nervously. "They were declared extinct."

"A supernova," muttered Mariku. "How can it be then, that we have one in chains on this ship?"

"That's just it!" She jumped up. Her voice was shrill. "If there is one, then there are more and they had 150 years to recover."

"What if he had simply just hidden all this time?" Bakura put new bandages on.

"Impossible. The space station was abandoned long ago. He would never have had enough food for such a long period of time."

"Well, it would explain why he had eaten his friend." Anzu and Mariku looked at him in horror. "What? The corpse had significant bite marks."

"There was another Notechis on the station?" Anzu voice trembled violently. She seemed on the verge of a panic attack.

"Calm down. He was dead."

"But that means there are more." Anzu put her hands over her mouth. "I have," she took a deep breath, "to lie down."

* * *

Mariku wanted to cross his arms behind his head, but as pain shot through him, he lowered his arms again. Bakura had given him something for the pain, but it was still there. His shoulder throbbed and he couldn't sleep at all. Anzu's story was still on his mind. It wasn't surprising that Ryou wanted to see the Notechis dead immediately. What he had been through, Mariku couldn't even imagine in his worst nightmares.

Mariku turned to the side and back again. His shoulder knew no pity for him. He stood up, took the bowl with the half-eaten soup from the table and left the room. On the way to the kitchen, he stopped in front of the room in which Malik was detained. Mariku took a deep breath and opened the door. Malik was curled up close to the wall for a comfortable sleeping position. As Mariku entered, his eyes opened. His face was still bloody.

"Oh, what a surprise. What's this? My last meal?"

Mariku looked at the bowl in his hand. "Not really," he muttered, and put the bowl on the table nearby. "Have you eaten recently?"

"A few hours ago. Meat. Juicy and tender." Malik licked his lips grinning and Mariku glanced at his shoulder.

"I heard what your species has done in the past."

"Ah." Malik closed his eyes. "The good old days. At that time vermin like you knew its place. "

"You were there?"

"Of course." The pride in his voice was unmistakable. The longevity of many alien races was still strange for Mariku. Malik was thus about 200 years old. However, he did look like a teenager.

"What's your name?"

Malik made a derisive sound. "Why should I tell you that, scum?" Despite his hopeless situation Malik showed no respect or fear. He behaved as if he had the situation completely under control.

"If you tell me, you get the rest of the soup."

Malik's eyes flicked briefly to the bowl on the table. "Bad deal." But his gaze lingered long enough on it to show Mariku that the soup was very probably a good deal. He only had to pass Malik's pride.

"You think so? Well, then I'll throw it away." He took the bowl from the table. "A pity, it's really delicious." He turned to go.

"Wait," Malik hissed and Mariku turned around with a pretended questioning look on his face. "My name is Malik, now give me the food, you fucking insect."

Mariku could hardly suppress the triumphant grin. He placed the bowl to Malik's lips and he drank greedily of the soup until nothing was left.

"Malik, huh?" He put the bowl back on the table. "That name also exists on earth." Malik's eyes narrowed to slits. He didn't seem to like the thought of pathetic humans sharing his name. "It means king." This, however, he seemed to like.

"Looks like as if you humans aren't quite so stupid."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Silence returned and Mariku stroked his neck restlessly. Under Malik's glare, he felt like the prey, face to face with its hunter, even though Malik was in chains. "Aren't you afraid for tomorrow?"

"Why should I be?"

"Ryou will kill you."

Malik hissed a few times. He sounded amused. "No, he won't."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mariku sat in his cabin leaning against the wall and stared at the door. Malik's self-confidence had surprised him. He was so convinced that he would not die, that Mariku felt downright stupid that he even considered it at all. Of course, he had asked Malik what made him so sure, but Malik had turned away from him. The only respond he got was: "You bore me." Mariku sighed. He tried to measure up Malik, but it was impossible. For him, everything seemed to be just a game.

Mariku touched his left shoulder. The pain was getting worse. Should he wake Bakura? After all, it was almost morning. At least he hoped so, because he had no desire to sit around idly and wait until the others woke up, only because his shoulder made it unable for him to sleep. In addition, Malik's behavior disturbed him. It made him uneasy, not knowing what he was planning.

Mariku sighed annoyed. He wanted to get away from here and go to Ptera. He only hoped they would arrive in time. He still had two days before he had to report to the school. Why was this happening to him? He had always dreamed of adventures, but after he was a pilot. He sighed and leaned his head back. At least, he had a story to tell on his first day, given that he got out alive.

Mariku listened attentively as he heard noises in the hallway. He quickly stood up and walked out of the room, where he collided with Bakura. Mariku grimaced in pain and clutched his arm.

"Sorry," Bakura muttered, but he didn't look at him. His gaze was fixed on Ryou, who disappeared along with Honda in the room, in which Malik was detained. "Do I need to take a look at your arm again?"

"Yes." But Mariku wasn't sure if Bakura had heard him.

"Sweet," they heard Malik say, as they entered the room. He had a scratch wound on his cheek and blood dripped from Ryou's claws on the ground.

Malik shot Mariku a quick glance, and then turned his attention back to Ryou.

"Get out!" Ryou hissed at them, without turning around.

"I'm not here to stop you." Bakura said, shrugging, leaning with crossed arms against the wall.

Mariku remained standing at the door, not sure why he was here at all. He didn't want to watch Ryou kill Malik. Still, he kept his gaze fixed on him, curious about how he wanted to get out of this situation.

"Come on, scum," provoked Malik. He tensed the muscles in his arms. "Show me, what you've got." He tugged at the chains. "Keep going, as soon as I'm free, I'll show you what pain is!"

Ryou shook with anger; he threatened Malik with his claws. "You'll never hurt anyone again, you bastard. You'll beg me to finally kill you. I will avenge my family. I will avenge them all!" His voice was low, but Malik was not impressed by his threat. He just laughed and it sent cold shivers up and down Mariku's spine. Bakura shifted his weight uneasily.

"You'll regret it, slave." Ryou struck Malik again and left another scratch wound.

"I am not a slave," Ryou hissed, clenching his hands into fists.

"But you will be one again, soon."

Ryou grabbed Malik by the throat. His face was contorted with rage and hatred. His claws scratched at the scaleless skin and blood slowly trickled down Malik's neck. Malik still showed no sign of fear. On the contrary, he looked at Ryou bored, then turned his eyes to Mariku and fixed on him.

Mariku shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. He was not allowed to interfere. That didn't concern him. He would only regret it. "Wait," he said finally, Malik's lips twisted into a triumphant grin.

"What?" Ryou snapped at Mariku, without letting Malik go. The grin on his face made him even angrier. He wanted to tear his head off immediately.

Mariku sighed. What had he done? "We still don't know where we are, right?" Ryou didn't answer. He kept his eyes glued to Malik. "But he knows."

"And you think I trust even one word that comes from his mouth?" Ryou spat. He let go of Malik and whirled around. He looked like he wanted to attack Mariku any moment.

"He will hardly lead us into death when he is on board."

"We will find a way to get out of here; without help from scum like him!" He turned back to Malik.

Mariku took a deep breath. Why did he defend Malik? He didn't deserve it. He was a monster and didn't even deny that. He was even proud of it. "But..."

Ryou rolled his eyes. "If you keep this up, I'll kill you. Get out, Mariku! This is nothing of your concern, or do you want to offer him your right shoulder as well?"

Mariku bit his lower lip. "I know what he and what his people have done, and yes damn it, he deserves to die, but think about it, what if there are more of them? What if they are planning another war?" This time Mariku's words gave Ryou food for thought. "You don't want the past to repeat itself, right? It would be smarter if Malik..."

"Malik?" Ryou broke in and Mariku knew he had made a mistake. "You know his name?"

"Well, I..."

Ryou turned his bloody claws on Mariku. "Don't you see what he does? He manipulates you! And with great success." Mariku looked over Ryou's shoulder at Malik, who was still grinning at him. "You humans are just too weak."

"But he's right," Bakura said suddenly. "We can't risk another war. He is a war criminal and has to be punished, but we should hand him over to the authorities."

Ryou shouted angrily, and stormed out of the room. Honda followed him. Bakura looked at Mariku almost reproachfully. "I hope I don't regret this one day." He pushed himself off the wall and left the room too.

Mariku took a deep breath. What had he done?

"See, I told you, I'm not going to die."

"I'm going to regret this for sure." muttered Mariku and stroked his hair.

"Don't worry, as a reward, I'll kill you quickly."

* * *

Mariku screamed as Bakura pinched his shoulder. "I don't want you to forget what he's capable of." he said grimly.

"I won't." He took the glass that Bakura gave him and drank. The liquid tasted bitter, but it helped the pain. Nevertheless Mariku grimaced. "Hundreds of years of evolution, and medicine still taste disgusting. Yuck!"

Bakura sank onto the bed and looked up at Mariku. "Tell me what you were thinking; that was really stupid."

"I know," replied Mariku and sighed. He sat next to Bakura. "He's probably really influenced me somehow, and I was too stupid to realize it." He stroked his face. "I'm such an idiot."

"You can only hope that he will kill you first, because he'll do it faster than Ryou will."

Mariku grinned slightly. "Ryou would tear off my cock and eat it while making me watch."

Bakura started to laugh. "Yep, that's what he would do. And I warn you," he tapped his finger against Mariku's chest, "if I gambled my chance with him because of you, then you have to make up for it."

"What chances?"

"Hey, there's definitely something going on between Ryou and me."

"Yes, of course; in your dreams maybe." They both laughed.

* * *

"OUT!" Ryou yelled as Mariku and Bakura entered the cockpit. The ship had set in motion again.

"We just wanted to..."

"GET OUT! I don't want to see your faces. Get out! Get out! GET OUT!" Ryou pointed at the door forcefully and Bakura and Mariku backed out.

"We can probably be glad that he has not yet thrown us from the ship," Bakura said with a shrug. They had to support themselves against the wall, since the ship flew very unstable. The controller was still damaged.

"I'm sorry that you're in trouble now because of me." Since Jupiter everything seemed to go wrong. It would have been better, if he had stayed on Earth. Mariku sighed. And all this trouble just because he had sided with Malik, who had almost killed him in addition. He really had to work on his priorities. It was better, if he stayed away from him in the future.

At this moment the ship took a slight skew. The two men lost their footing and slid down the hall. Mariku cursed, as his shoulder slammed against the wall. "This is the worst trip of my life," he murmured, holding his injured arm tight.

"You have never flown with my uncle. Once and never again, I tell you." Bakura rubbed the back of his head. The ship returned to its normal position and they stood up again. "We should fasten our seatbelts anyway. The landing could be a bit uncomfortable."

"Landing?" asked Mariku.

"Well, there was a planet outside. I'm assuming we will land there. The ship needs to be repaired," Bakura opened the door to his room, "and I don't trust the Notechis to ask him where we are."

Mariku stared at the closed door for a moment, but when the ship jerked again, he hurried into his own room and sat down. Shortly after he had fastened his seatbelt, the ship turned head. Mariku felt like riding a roller coaster. The alarm sounded again and Mariku closed his eyes. The seat belt pressed painfully against his shoulder, and the vibrations didn't help his situation. Mariku cursed. He felt the ship accelerating. Because of the slope, however, he was assuming that the speed was not intended. They were shaken and Mariku bit his lower lip.

When they hit the surface of the planet, Mariku was pulled forward; one of the belts cracked under the strain. The lights flickered and went out. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," muttered Mariku without interruption. He leaned back in his chair and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His shoulder was bleeding again. The door to his room slid open. "Please don't tell me we crashed."

"Okay, I won't tell you," said Bakura. He stood at the open door and had survived the crash without injury. "Shall I help you?"

"No." Mariku supported himself with his uninjured arm on the table and pushed himself out of the seat. His arm was shaking and his legs almost failed him.

"Okay, I'll see how the others are doing, and then I'll check your shoulder. You better lie down."

For a moment, Mariku took Bakura's advice into consideration, but then he also left his room. He heard Malik hissing and cursing. "Are you totally stupid?" Malik hissed at him, as he entered the room.

"We are a bit crashed."

"Oh, really?" He said with a sarcastic tone. "You're really good for nothing." He tugged at his chains. "Let me free, I'll release you from your disability."

"Are you hurt?" Malik made only a snide sound and Mariku rolled his eyes. Why was he even here again? "You should really be nice to me; since I help you not get killed."

"I'm not dependent on your grace, _human_!" He spat out the last word.

"Oh yes you are, _Notechis_!" Malik hissed. He tugged at the chains and bared his teeth. Mariku left him alone again. Great, now he had made him angry too.

* * *

"Mariku damn, there you are!" Bakura came to meet him. "You've really got a crush on him, huh?"

"Shut up," muttered Mariku. "Are the others alright?"

"Just a few bruises." Bakura shrugged. "Let me see your shoulder."

They returned to Mariku's room and Bakura loosened the blood-soaked bandage. He swallowed hard as he saw the open wound. The smell of blood reached his nostrils and made his mouth watering.

"Are you okay?" Mariku wanted to know as Bakura made no move to take care of the wound.

Bakura answered nothing. Mesmerized, he stared at the blood. Human blood smelled so sweet, it made him almost mad. Just a sip. Only a small sip. "Bakura?" Mariku turned around and Bakura woke up.

Blinking, he looked at Mariku. "I... your...," his eyes fell again on the wound. A trickle ran over Mariku's chest. "Blood." He licked his lips. "It's so... distracting."

"There was a reason why Ryou called you a blood-sucker."

Bakura had difficulties to look away. "Yes." His breathing had become noticeably faster. "Just a little bit," he whispered.

"Damn," cursed Mariku and put his foot on Bakura's chest to keep him at a distance. "Why is it that you aliens either want to fuck me or eat me?" He pushed Bakura with the foot off the bed, which again brought him back to reality.

He shook his head a few times. "I'll be right back."

But before he could leave the room, Ryou stood at the door. "Jou, Honda, and I will go out and look around. You stay here. You don't leave the ship. Do you understand me? "

"Yes, sir!" Bakura hinted a small curtsy and Ryou shot him an angry look.

Sighing, Mariku dropped onto the mattress and didn't care that the sheets got dirty. Would he ever arrive on Ptera? He doubted it.

Bakura came back with a bottle in his hand. "So," he grinned, "I'm myself again."

* * *

He attached the bandages and surveyed his work. "Any more pain?"

"No, not at the moment." replied Mariku and pulled his shirt back on.

"Do we take a look outside?"

"Sure!" Even though Ryou had forbidden them to leave the ship, he was already so angry at them, it didn't matter if it got worse.

Outside it was sultry and oppressive. Mariku wiped his forehead and lifted his shirt. The ground was soft and muddy, and they had to be careful where they stepped, in order not to sink into the mire. Mariku put his head back. He could barely see the tree tops. It looked like they had crashed into a kind of jungle. Only slightly penetrated the light through the hole, which they had torn in the canopy.

Around them it was dim and Mariku had a hard time to see anything. He looked up and saw Anzu standing on top of the ship. "What's going on?" He called up to her.

"The outer shell is slightly damaged, but that doesn't worry me." She jumped down and landed gracefully on her feet. "The controller makes me more worried. I can't find the problem." She sighed.

"You'll find it," Mariku spoke encouragingly to her and Anzu, embarrassed, stroked a strand behind her ear.

"Look at that!" Bakura shouted suddenly. He stood at some distance, with his hands stretched out to the side, as if he wanted to hug someone. Between the trees was a net-like structure, dew drops shimmered.

"Looks like a spider web," said Mariku, as he came closer.

"What's a spider's web?"

"Spiders are a species on earth. There are different types and they spin such nets to catch prey." He shrugged. "Usually they are much smaller though." He looked at the net. The threads were as thick as his arm. Mariku got goose bumps. He didn't want to meet that spider.

Bakura reached out to touch it, but Mariku stopped him. He picked up a branch from the ground and touched the net. The wood got stuck immediately and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the branch off anymore.

Bakura shuddered. "That was close."

"Let's go back." Mariku looked around uneasily. "I don't like it here."

Bakura's eyes were still on the branch. He nodded slowly. "It's too damn quiet here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," he ran his fingers through his hair, "I hear nothing. Absolutely nothing." He let his gaze wander over the trees. "Either this is a dead planet or something here prevents any noise." Bakura's words didn't ensure that Mariku felt calmer.

"What about Ryou and the others?" Bakura shook his head. "They can't be too far."

"I know." He gritted his teeth. "I should be able to hear them without problems, but..." He shook his head.

Mariku was glad when they were back in the ship again, but he didn't feel calmer. What kind of Planet was this? Were Ryou, Jonouchi and Honda alright?

"I'll ask Malik where we are." he said.

Bakura looked at him skeptically. "Ryou is right, he is not very trustworthy."

Mariku shrugged. "But he is currently the only one who can give us a clue at all. He doesn't want us to die as long as he is chained."

"You humans are really weird."

"You're telling me," muttered Mariku and went to Malik. Malik glared at him. "Where are we?" But Malik just pressed his lips together, like a pouting child. Mariku sat down opposite of him. "In your position I would talk. We could die and then you would rot in these chains."

Malik hissed. His long, forked tongue shot out and then disappeared again behind his pointed teeth. "How should I know? If you haven't noticed yet, I'm chained here and there are no windows." He had a point.

"It looks like we are in a jungle," Mariku began to describe, "high trees, very dim and its uncomfortably humid. The ground is mud. Bakura says he doesn't hear the slightest sound." Malik looked at him with a straight face. Mariku couldn't say whether Malik knew the planet or not. "There are huge spider webs."

"What's that?" His voice sounded bored. Mariku gave him the same description as Bakura. Then Malik's facial expression changed. He looked worried; at least Mariku interpreted it as concern. The chains rattled as he restlessly changed his seating position. "Free me." This time he sounded tense.

"Certainly not."

"Free me!" He repeated insistently. "I'm not going to die with you bastards."

Mariku raised an eyebrow. So Malik knew where they were and whatever lived on this planet, it even bothered him. That boded nothing good. "Where are we? What lives here?"

A Hiss. "Pack your little friends and get this ship out of here."

"Tell me where we are!"

"Let me go!" Malik leaned forward so that the chains were pulled taut. Mariku stayed in place, unfazed, even if Malik's face was only inches from his. He still felt uneasy in his presence.

"Maybe I'll free you, when you finally tell me where we are." He was tired, that these aliens thought they could intimidate him with their claws and teeth.

With a frustrated hiss Malik fell back. "Happy dying then." He turned his head to the side and Mariku rolled his eyes.

"What a pighead!" Mariku stood up. There was no point in staying longer. He had to wait until Ryou returned and tell him that the planet was dangerous. At least he hoped that Ryou came back.

* * *

"What did he say?" Bakura asked. He stood at the doorway of the ship and had his eyes closed.

"No details. Only that whatever lives here is dangerous. Even Malik seems to be afraid."

Bakura looked at him. Concern was in his eyes. "If someone like him is afraid then…" he turned his gaze back outside and left the sentence unsaid. Mariku knew what he wanted to say anyway.

"Do you hear something?"

Bakura shook his head. "Only Anzu. The silence makes me crazy."

"I hope Ryou comes back soon."

As if on cue, Bakura's body tensed suddenly. Mariku had the impression that his ears pricked up. Then he ran. He almost stumbled as he sank in the mud with one foot.

Mariku stepped outside and watched him questioningly. What was going on? Anzu joined him. She seemed just as confused as him.

Ryou suddenly burst out of the undergrowth. He was breathing heavily and had a hunted expression. Worried, he glanced over his shoulder. Honda was right behind him. Even from a distance Mariku could see that his skin was glowing. Jonouchi didn't show up and Mariku had a bad feeling about that. Ryou had a gash on his arm. Honda seemed unharmed.

"What happened?" Bakura called out to them and stopped.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the ship?" Ryou snapped at him, but seemed glad to see him. He slowed his pace and stopped panting in front of Bakura.

"What happened?" Bakura asked again and carefully took Ryou's arm. His shirt was soaked with blood, but the wound itself was no longer bleeding. Ryou shook his head with clenched teeth.

Honda answered for him: "We don't know." The glow of his skin died away.

"And Jonouchi?" Another shake of the head from Ryou.

"It all happened very quickly." Honda replied again. "We don't know what attacked us." He shook his head. "Suddenly Jonouchi was gone."

They returned to the ship and Bakura looked at Ryou's wound. It looked like an elongated cut, but the edges were frayed and had corroded. "Do you feel strange?" Asked Bakura and Ryou shook his head. "Are you sick? Dou you have breathing problems?"

"No."

"Malik says we should disappear if we want to survive," said Mariku.

Ryou's eyes narrowed as he heard Malik's name. "Why should I care what he says?"

"Because you were attacked and Jou disappeared? Even Malik is scared." Ryou made a derogatory sound. "He'll tell us where we are, if we let him go."

Ryou laughed out loud. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

Mariku was losing it. He had enough of it, that everyone treated him like an idiot just because he was a human. Despite the fact that Ryou could split open his body with his claws without problems, Mariku grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. Ryou gasped painfully and grimaced. "Now listen to me, you conceited jackass. There is something out there that is going to kill us and inside this ship is also something that will kill us. Either way, we're going to die. However, there is a small chance that Malik will not kill us, because he wants to leave this planet, so stop acting like a whiney bitch and let him go!" He let go of Ryou, who slid down the wall. Ryou put his hand to his throat and took several deep breaths before he raised his eyes and looked at Mariku angrily. "He's the only one who can help us now!" He watched as Ryou's jaw tensed and his hands clenched into fists. He expected that Ryou would attack him at any moment, but Ryou's posture relaxed slightly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, which he threw at Mariku's feet.

"I hope he will kill you." he spat at him.

Mariku picked up the key and left without another word. He was still angry. He stood in front of Malik and held up the key. With raised eyebrows Malik looked first to the key, then to him. "Will you help us when I release you?"

"Yes."

"You won't kill us?"

"Not now."

It was a risk, but they had no other choice. Their death was inevitable, as long as they didn't know what was lurking out there and they could put Malik back in chains afterwards. At least Mariku hoped that they still had the chance. The key clicked in the lock and the handcuffs fell clattering against the wall.


End file.
